Trouble-locating device



TROUBLE LOCATING DEVICE Filed May 16, 1919 Moro/r INTEERUPTER.

E g w E L INVENTOR GROUPI G Ro u P2 swouea ATTORNEY WINFRED T POWELL.

Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

umrso erase areas? WINFRED T. POWELL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORTO THE STROMBERG- CARLSON TELEPHONE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 'OFROCHESTER,NEW YORK, A-

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TROUBLE-LOCATING DEVICE.

Application filed May 16,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, \VINTRED T. POWELL, acitizenv of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Trouble- Locating Devices, of which the following is afull, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to telephone sys tems, and more particularly totelephone sys; tems employing automatic switches in com pl'eting aconnection from a calling substation to a called substation.

The present invention has for its purpos the provision of means normallyinoperative, but functioning as soon as an abnormal condition arises intheexchange to locate and indicate the nature of the trouble, and tooperate an alarm to inform an attendant that certain of the apparatus isnot operat-, ing properly.

The drawings diagrammatically represent the circuits of the troublelocating and indicating means, with the exception that at the left ofthe drawing there is diagrammatically shown three groups of apparatus,the apparatus of each group being set off by dotted lines.

In the present description reference will be made to astep-by-stepswitch. This switch may be of any well known type in which three seriesof contacts are arranged to form an arcuate bank. Three sets of brushesare rotatably mounted to engage the series of contacts and are rotatedby a well known stepping magnet. In the present disclosure duplicatesets of brushes are pro videdwhich are spaced 180 degrees apart. Aduplication of these sets of brushes is, however, not necessary to thepresent invention. It will be noted that one of the brushes of eachsetpsuchas the brush designated 21, is of the bridging type; that is,the brush 2-1 makesconnection with a contact of one series before-itbreaks engagement with a contact of the series with which it was last inengagement. The so-called bridging wipers or brushes are well. known inthis art and neednot be "further described.

Reteren'ce will also be made to a timing device whfi'ch'consists o'f'arotating shaft rovid'ed 'with various cam segments to c ose contacts inthe proper sequence. This timing 1919. Serial No. 297,578.

device maybe arranged to operate continuously, or may be arranged tooperate only when an unstandard condition arises in the apparatus orcircuits of the exchange.

It is believed that the operation of this system will best .beunderstood by describing the method of locating and indicating anabnormal condition in one "of the groups of apparatus of the exchange.Let it be assumed that some part of the apparatus located in group 1,fails to function properly.

For the purposes of the present disclosure we have assumed that thedifficulty exists in the failure of a selector or connector switch tocompletely release when disconnection is desired. Under theseconditions, a circuit is closed from grounded battery, through thenormally open contact ON associated with the faulty switch, winding ofthe release magnet 29 of that, switch, windingo-t the relay 30, which iscommon to this group of apparatus, to grounded battery. There'lay 30attracts itsarmatures. At its upper armature it opens a break point inthe group test conductor at, and at its lower armature closes breakpoints in the circuits leading to the left hand winding of the relays 5and 6. The relay 6 attracts its armature and closes a circuit forlighting the lamp 7. A circuit similar to that for lighting'the lamp maybe closed at this time for starting the operation of the timing device,-or interrupter.

In the present description we will assumev When the contact 11 isbrought into engage-- ment with the contact 15, if the trouble stillcontinues,a circuit is closed from grounded battery,resistance, lowerarmatureand' front contact of the relay 30, leftyhand' windingof therelay 5, contacts-:11 and 10,:right hand front contact and armature: ofrelay Gate" ground. The relay 5 is energized in this teases circuit andattracts its right hand armature to complete a locking circuit foritself over conductor 16 to ground at the right hand front contact andarmature of relay 6.

When the relay 5 attracts its armature, ground is connected to thenormal contacts of the switch over conductor 17 and through brush 18,conductor 19, self interruptmg springs and winding of the motor magnetMM, resistance, to grounded battery, but the motor magnet is stillsliort-circuited over brush 13 01' the switch, so that it does notoperate at this time. As the interrupter continues to rotate, thecontact 15 will be out of engagement with contacts 10 and 11, but theselast two mentioned contacts will continue to remain in engagement. Inthis way if one of the relays similar to one of the relays should beoperated just before the interrupter opens, the contacts 10 and 11, themotor magnet MM will not be operated in this short interval of time. Asthe interrupter continues to rotate, the contacts 10 and 11 will moveout of engagement, and if the abnormal condition has been removed duringthis interval of time, the switch will .not have moved from its normalposition.

Assuming, however, that the abnormal condition still continues to exist,the motor magnet MM will now be operated to advance the switch one step,since it is no longer short circuited. This energizing circuit extendsfrom grounded battery, winding and interrupter springs of the motormagnet, over conductor 19, brush 18, over conductors 17 and 16, righthand front contacts and armatures of relays 6 and 5, to ground.

When the finder brushes come to rest on the first set of contacts, alocking circuit is completed for the relay 6, from grounded battery,through its right hand winding, conductor 20, brush 21, conductor 22,right hand contact and armature of relay 6, to ground. Relay 5 alsocontinues to be locked up over conductor 16; and the motor magnet MM isenergized, this time over a circuit extending from ground, armature andfront contact of the relay 6, contacts 10 and .11 in the next revolutionof the interrupter, conductor 12, brush 13, conductor 23, winding of themotor magnet MM, resistance, to grounded battery. The motor magnet MMcontinues to attract its armature until the contacts 10 and 11 areopened in the further rotation of the interrupter. At this time themotor magnet MM deenergizes and advances the brushes to the second setof contacts. Relay 6 still continues to be locked up over conductor 20and brush 21 of the switch. The motor magnet MM is again energized overa circuit similar to that just described; namely, from grounded battery,resistance, Winding of the motor magnet, conductor 23, brush 18,contacts 11 and 10 nasoeee which have again been closed by the rotation01" the interrupter, right hand front contact and armature of relay 6,to ground.

The motor magnet emains energized until the contacts 11 and 10 are againopen,

whereupon the motor magnet MM deenergizes to advance the brushes of theswitch into engagement with the third set of contacts. Since the relay30 of the first group has been operated owing to some abnormal conditionin this group, ground will be re moved from the third set of contactscorresponding to this group at the finder switch, so that when this setof contacts is engaged by the brushes, they will remain in that positionuntil an attendant has corrected or removed the unstanda-rd condition.As soon as the brush 21 engages the third set of contacts, the bell 2 1is operated by a circuit completed from grounded battery, windings,armature and back contact of the bell magnet, conductor 25, brush 21,conductor 22, right hand front contact and armature of relay 6, toground. The bell will notify the attendant of the abnormal condition,and by noting the position of the brushes oi the finder he can ascertainin which group the trouble exists.

It the trouble had existed in the second group instead of the firstgroup, the finder brushes would have been moved from. the

third contact of the first group to the normal contact of the secondgroup by an energizing circuit for the motor magnet, closed fromgrounded battery, resistance, winding and seltinte'rrupting contactsprings of the motor magnet MliL'conductor 19, brush 18,

conductor 4:, back contact and armature of relay 30 of the first group,to ground. The finder brushes would then be advanced over the first andsecond sets of contacts in a manner similar to that described inconnection with group 1.

Thus it will be seen that the relay 30 of any group must be operated fora certain interval of time before the rotary finder switch will bestarted, thereby saving wear of the switch. Furthermore, after theswitch starts another interval of time is measured off be fore the alarmis given, thereby providing a sufiiciently long interval of time topermit successive operations of the relays 30 of the several groups. Theinterval of time to be measured off may be varied to suit operatingconditions by variously adjusting the speed of the'interrupter, and bythe spacing or arrangement of the contacts of the rotary finder switch.

lvhat I clainiis: I

1. In a telephone system, a plurality of pieces of apparatusco-operating to complete telephone calls, a device operating to locatefaulty conditions in said apparatus, an operating circuit for saiddevice, and a second circuit for completing a shunt path about saidoperating means to delay the operation thereof.

2. In a telephone system, a plurality of pieces of apparatusco-operating to complete telephone calls, a switch operating to hunt forfaulty conditions in said pieces of apparatus, means for operating saidswitch, a circuit for said operating means, and a second circuit forpreventing the operation of said means for a predetermined minimuminterval, said circuits being completed through said switch.

3. In a telephone system, a plurality of pieces of apparatusco-operating to complete telephone calls, a hunting switch having groupsof terminals corresponding in number to the groups of apparatus, eachgroup of terminals comprising several series of terminals, a testcircuit common to the apparatus of each group for indicating thecondition of the apparatus of that group, said circuit terminating inits related group of terminals at said switch, and operating circuitsfor said switch controlled through said terminals for determining whensaid switch shall begin to hunt for unstandard conditons.

l. In a telephone system, pieces of telephone apparatus arranged ingroups, a relay common to each group, means actuated in the normaloperation of each piece of apparatus to operate its common relay, meansfunctioning to hunt for a group containing faulty apparatus, and atiming device cooperating with said relays and .effective after apredetermined minimum interval of time to actuate said huntingmechanism.

5. In a telephone system, a plurality of pieces of telephone apparatusarranged in groups, a relay common to each group, a hunting switchnormally inoperative but functioning to locate a group containing faultyapparatus, timing mechanism cooperating with one of said relays toprepare said hunting switch to operate, and means including said timingmechanism for delaying the operation of said hunting switch.

6. In a telephone system, a plurality of pieces of telephone apparatusarranged in groups, a relay common to each group, a rotary huntingswitch normally inoperative but functioning to locate a group containingfaulty apparatus, timing mechanism cooperating with one of said relaysto prepare said hunting-switch to operate, and means including saidtiming mechanism for delaying the operation of said hunting switch.

7. In a telephone system, a plurality of groups of telephone apparatus,a rotary switch having sets of contacts corresponding to each of saidgroups of apparatus, brushes in said switch engaging said contacts and amotor magnet for progressively advancing said brushes in a step-by-stepmanner over said sets of contacts, a relay common to each group oftelephone apparatus, means for operating said relay whenever any pieceof telephone apparatus of its related group is in operation, a timingdevice co-operating with any of said relays when actuated to measure aminimum interval of time, circuits for said motor magnet, one of whichis effective to actuate the same and another for disabling said motormagnet, said last mentioned circuit being controlled by said timingdevice, and an alarm controlled by said switch.

8. In a telephone system, a plurality of pieces of apparatusco-operating to complete telephone calls, an alarm effective to give asignal whenever the operation of any of said telephone apparatus isfaulty, a progressively movable switch having contacts for locatingfaulty apparatus, a rotary interrupting device for preparing anoperating circuit for said switch and for simultaneously preparing adisabling circuit for said switch, said disabling circuit being closedfor a predetermned minimum interval, and operating means for said alarmcontrolled by said switch. a

9. In a telephone system, a plurality of pieces of apparatusco-operating to complete telephone calls, a timing device and aprogressively movable switch for locating faulty apparatus, said timingdevice functioning to measure an interval of time equal to the maximumamount of time consumed by said apparatus in its noral operation, andthereby preventing said switch from operating except when some of saidapparatus is faulty, an alarm, and circuits completed by said switch tooperate said alarm when the faulty apparatus is located.

10. In a telephone system, a plurality of pieces of apparatusco-operating to complete telephone calls, a hunting switch for locatingunstandard conditions in said pieces of apparatus, a timing device, acircuit for operating said switch closed when said apparatus is used,and a second circuit for preventing the operation of said switch saidlast mentioned circuit being completed for an interval of time aftersaid apparatus is in use, said interval being measured by said timingdevice.

In witness whereof, Ihereunto subscribe my name this 13th day of May A.D. 1919.

WINFRED T. POWELL.

